Aeroplane or hydroaeroplane construction



S. H. TOLMAN.

AEROPLANE (LR HYDROAEfiOPLANE CONSTRUCTION. APPLICATION FILED JUNE-I7, 191.8.

1,341,399. Patented May 25, 1920.

. extent.

UNITED STATES I SCOTT H. TOLMAN, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

AEBOPLANE OR HYDROAEROPLANE CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 25, 1920.

Original application filed July 10, 1917, Serial No. 179,633. Divided and this application filed June 17, 1918. Serial No. 240,273.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Sco'rr H. TOLMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Aeroplane or Hydroaeroplane Construction, of which the fol lowing is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide a novel structure for aeroplanes or hydroplanes, and it consists of an arrangement and construction of parts illustrated on the accompanying drawings, described in the following specification, and pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings,-

Figure 1 represents a cross section through a hydroplane embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 represents a portion of one of the Wings or planes on a larger scale.

Flg. 3-illustrates a portion of the frame structure.

In my copending application, SerialNo. 179,633, filed July 10, 1917, of which this is a division, I have illustrated and described one form of hydroplane, which is represented in cross section in Fig. 1. I

For present purposes it is suflicient to state that the hydroplane comprises a boat or body portion 10, wings or supporting .planes 11, 11, and what for convenience I call a vertical web portion 12. The portions 10 and 11 form a unitary hollow structure of sufiicient proportions and of sufiicient buoyancy to sustain the weight of the craft when the body rests upon the water. The wings or supporting air planes project laterally from the web portion beyond the sides of the body to any desired These features of construction are not essential to the present invention, which is capable of embodiment in wings or planes of any kind, and it will therefore be understood that I may embody the invention in any of the aeroplanes or hydroplanes now in use.

The present invention consists of a structure which may be used both for the body portion and for the wings or planes. It is formed of metal channel bars, preferably lU-shape in cross section, which may be rolled or formed of very thin stock so as to possess a minimum weight. These channel bars are arranged to constitute longitudinal and transverse members, as indicated at 13 and 14, and are preferably, thoughnot necessarily, perpendicular, one with relation to the other, and the ends of the transverse or spacing members (which are cut into short lengths) fit between and against the ribs or webs of the longitudinal members to which they are welded. The members thus constitute a grid, I

\ edges of said members, that is against either the curved portions or the Webs or ribs of the channel bars. For the purpose of illustration, the sheathing 15 rests against the webs or ribs of the members 13 14. Any sheathing material may be employed, but I preferably employ very thin sheet steel, and; spot weld it to the members at such points as may be desirable to get the desired stability. The sheathing may be above or below the grid, as desired. In a construction such as shown in Fig. 1, in which the wings increase in thickness as they approach the web portion, two grid structures are provided, one for the upper portion of the wings, and one for the lower portions thereof, the web 12 and the body 10, the longitudinal and transverse members thereof forming a unitary structure, about which the sheathing is arranged as desired to form a continuous skin or covering; In this case, suitable braces and struts, as at 16 and 17, may be employed in the body, as at 18 in the Wings and as at 19 and 20 in the juncture of the wings and the web. These struts and braces are located where they can best sustain the varying strains to which the craft is subjected, and are formed of channel bars like those at 13, 14. Their ends are welded or otherwise secured to the members of the grid or grids. Though the transverse or spacing members 14 are shown as arranged in alinement with each other, they are not continuous as already stated, and hence may be offset where necessary.

A structure formed as herein described is very light and yet has sufficient rigidity, especially when the sheathing is formed of thin sheet steel welded together.

Having thus explained the nature ofmy said invention and described a way of making and using the same, although without attempting to set forth all of the forms in which it may be made or all of the modes of its use, what I claim is:

. 1. An aircraft comprising metallic frame members of channel-shape cross-section arranged in angular relation, the) edges of said members being outermost and inflush relation, and a sheathing of flexible sheet naetal fastened to said frame against said e es.

2 An aircraft comprising a series of metallic frame-forming rib members arranged in substantially parallel relation, and metallic spacing members arranged between and extending transversely of said rib members, the ends of saidspacing members being arranged in abutting relation to the sides of said rib members, said rib mettlbers and said spacing members being channel-shape in cross-section and in flush relation, and a sheathing of flexible sheet metal fastened to said structure against said edges.

3. An aircraft comprising a frame structure including substantially parallel metal- 110 rib members and interposed metallic spacing members arranged to form a grid,

said rib members and vsaid spacing memof thin relatively flexible material fastened to said structure and bearingvthereagainst. In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

sooT'r H. TOLMAN. 

